The hard way
by flyin'rabbit
Summary: Susan has an idea that only brings back bad memories for Hannah…


**A/N**: A little story… hopefully you'll enjoy it :)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the world of Harry Potter…

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"Sometimes people are just too fast, judging others. They should be more willing to listen, to understand. And then talk it out, in peace." I look up to find my friend Hannah Abbott shaking her head at me. "What?" I ask. "Is that such a stupid idea?"

Hannah smiles grimly, and I suddenly understand what she is thinking about. "It's not always that easy, Susan. How did you even get that idea?"

I pull a face. "I don't know. I just think that a lot of misunderstandings could be avoided if people would just let each other explain. People mostly run off before they've heard the entire story, or before they hear both sides of it."

"And why did you come up with that idea _now_?" Hannah inquires.

"It just occurred to me," I reply. Alright, actually it occurred to me last night. It seems to be happening a lot here at Hogwarts – people don't let one another speak. Nobody ever lets anyone say what needs to be said in order to make everything okay. Sometimes, I'm much too observant for my own good.

"So you think everyone should just calm down and chat with each other about all kinds of painful stuff because they have to understand each other?" Hannah asks. Knowing what is to come, I nod nevertheless. "Oh, Susan," she says, sighing. "_I_ have peace and understanding, look where it got _me_."

That certainly isn't a pretty story.

You see, Hannah had this… boyfriend for a couple of months earlier this year. He was much too outgoing for her, but they liked each other anyway. After some time, Hannah found him in an otherwise deserted corridor, with another girl. She was completely devastated.

The story doesn't end there, though. After lots of small (and larger) gifts and lots of apologies and it-was-just-a-mistake's and it-was-not-what-it-looked-like's, she forgave him. Yes, you heard me correctly, she was all ready to forgive what he'd done. She was actually happy about being able to forgive him, about being able to stay calm and nod her head in understanding as he pleaded his case, because she was certain that he meant it.

As you might have already guessed, it didn't end there either.

_We were walking to the Great Hall for breakfast, Hannah and I, and some other Hufflepuffs. Hannah would usually sit with her boyfriend (who's name is not important for the story, or important at all), so I was glad that the others were there too._

_Upon entering the Hall, we immediately noticed that something was wrong. The boyfriend wasn't sitting where he usually waited for Hannah, and we weren't extremely early or extremely late, so there was definitely something else going on. _

_The other Hufflepuffs walked towards our table, but I suddenly felt Hannah freeze next to me. I followed her gaze and saw that cheating bastard sitting at the Ravenclaw table, mouth to mouth with some other girl. _

_Somehow, they must've noticed us staring at them, because we were suddenly met by two grinning faces. Both of them stood up and walked towards us, and the 'boyfriend' looked down at us._

"_As you might have guessed, Hannah, we're over. Done." The girl just stood by his side, smirking at us, just like him. _

"_He's mine now," she said, as if that wasn't clear enough yet. She cackled – yes, cackled – loudly and both of them left the Hall, leaving a very upset Hannah (and me) behind. All the people sitting in the Great Hall had turned towards us now, to see what the cackling was all about._

_Hannah sniffled a little and then, she ran for it. Of course, why wouldn't she? She had given this idiot a second chance, and he'd betrayed her again._

After that public humiliation, Hannah is now much more careful when it comes to trusting people. Especially boys. But, she did learn her lesson, and so did I. Never give a boy a second chance after he cheated on you.

Which is why she might be so sceptical about my idea to make people talk to each other about their problems. It's what she did, after all. And it didn't do her much good.

I've already decided that this plan of mine is not a very good one. It should not be executed. Perhaps we _are_ better off running away, screaming our heads off. Perhaps we shouldn't be so understanding. It's only too bad we (of course, Hannah especially) had to learn that the hard way.

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**A/N**: Well, what do you think? Let me know, please review!


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